Deathly Hallows the Missing Fluff
by Liselle129
Summary: Deathly Hallows was a great end to the series but it seemed to be missing something: romance. This collection of scenes tries to correct that oversight. Mostly HarryxGinny. Ch.3: Harry and Ginny reunite after the war is over. Alternate scene.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That honor belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: I am indebted to SnakeEyes16 for encouraging me to write some romance for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and for suggesting three scenes that he thought could use some "embellishment." There may be more later, but I'm starting with those. The first is in the Room of Requirement, when the members of Dumbledore's Army are gathering.

**Room of Requirement**

As everyone prepared for the impending battle, Lupin had convinced Ginny and her parents to accept a compromise – that Ginny would stay in the Room of Requirement, close enough to find out what was going on but out of the action. Of course, Harry knew that, with no one to enforce her end of the deal, Ginny would only too readily slip out and join in anyway. Therefore, he pulled her aside briefly.

"Please do it," he pleaded with her bluntly. "Please stay here." Ginny, however, was not in the mood to take requests.

"You could have stood up for me back there," she accused, folding her arms. She tossed her mane of red hair behind her, eyes flashing brightly. God, she was beautiful. Harry quickly shook that thought out of his head as she continued. "They'd have listened to you, Mr. Boy-Who-Lived. You know I can fight."

"Of course I know that," he retorted, his voice full of quiet urgency. "That's not the point. I've put you and your family in danger enough. I can't control what the others do, but--"

"You can't control me, either, Harry Potter!" she snapped. Harry winced. This was not going the way he wanted it to.

"No, I – that's not what I meant! The fact you're under 17 is a convenient excuse, but I just…I can't stand the thought of losing you!" If Harry had thought this admission would mollify Ginny, he was dead wrong.

"Lose me?" she said in a deadly whisper. She brought her hands down to her sides, clenched into fists. She advanced on Harry and spoke through gritted teeth, voice rising in pitch with each word. "Lose me! You gave me up! Or have you forgotten?"

Harry recoiled as sharply as though Ginny had slapped him. He almost wished she had. Forgotten? Of course he hadn't forgotten! It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done, and given his life, that was really saying something.

Suddenly, though, all of it seemed incredibly foolish. Breaking up with her when Snape and Malfoy had already left knowing they were a couple; keeping the information of the Horcruxes from her, even though she'd previously been possessed and nearly killed by one piece of Voldemort's soul, making her already involved; not grabbing her right now and kissing the life out of her. Maybe he had been wrong to take Dumbledore so literally. Ginny had also proven herself trustworthy, and she was, in many ways, an extension of herself. Even if she couldn't join them on their quest, she deserved to be let in on it.

Harry had made so many mistakes, but he didn't have time to remedy them right now. He could feel Voldemort drawing closer.

"No, I haven't forgotten!" he exclaimed finally. "I know I don't have any right to ask you to do or not do anything right now. Breaking off with you was probably the biggest mistake of my life, but I can't take it back. Everything I did was to try to protect you. I see now how stupid that was. I…I'm sorry."

Surprisingly, the last two words did what nothing yet had. Ginny's posture and expression completely melted.

"I know," she sighed resignedly. "I forgive you." She flashed him a small smile, the first since they'd seen each other again, and then turned away to go to a far corner of the room with some of the other underage students.

Watching her go, Harry realized that she had still not promised she wouldn't fight. However, giving a bemused smile of his own, he knew that she wouldn't be the girl he loved if she had. He hoped that he might actually be able to tell her that someday soon.

--

Author's Note: Okay, so it's not that fluffy, but it's still more than what we got in the original. You may notice that some of my opinions of things that occurred in books 6 and 7 are in here as well. Anyway, immediately after this, Harry notices that Ron and Hermione are missing, and the scene proceeds on as normal.


	2. Chapter 2: Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of the Harry Potter franchise.

Author's Note: This was the second suggestion by SnakeEyes16. Harry is on his way to offer himself to Voldemort and runs across Ginny helping another girl. Obviously an alternate scene.

**Sacrifice**

When Harry saw Ginny there, just a few feet away, his resolve to leave without saying goodbye completely failed him. Although he didn't want to interrupt her comforting the other girl, the thought of just passing by as though he weren't there felt unbearable. He drew up until he was a few feet away.

"Ginny," he whispered. Her head jerked up, and she looked reflexively around. She nodded, as though to herself.

"I'll be right back," Ginny assured the other girl before walking towards Harry. "Harry?"

Harry did not say anything, but he pulled off the invisibility cloak so that she could see him. She looked straight into his eyes, and he drank in every detail of her, not wanting to forget a thing as he went to his death.

"You're going, aren't you." It was not a question.

"I have to." Harry licked his lips, rapidly considering what to tell her. "I don't have time to explain everything, but he – Riddle – managed to split up his soul. That's why he didn't die before, because pieces of his soul were still all over the place. We've destroyed most of them, but he accidentally put a piece in me. As long as it's still there, he can't die."

Ginny just stood there, mulling this over. Slowly, she reached up to rub across his scar with one finger. It felt oddly warm at her touch. It didn't burn. Rather, it felt comforting, like a cheery fireplace, and the warmth seemed to spread through his body.

"When he gave you this?" she asked. Harry nodded.

"Once I – that part is gone…" Harry swallowed, still having difficulty wrapping his mind around the idea that he was going to die in just a few minutes.

"He can be killed," Ginny finished. Harry did not have to explain what this meant for him. They both understood what he had to do. Of course, there was still the snake, but Harry had already asked Neville to take care of that, and there was no reason to go into any more detail.

Ginny did not cry but gazed solemnly back at him. Harry could only think of all his lost moments, all of the things he would never have the chance to do. If he had known that his life would end at this point, he would never have broken up with her last year. He would have enjoyed their summer together, however short it may have been.

"Ginny…I love you," he said finally. "I just wanted you to know." At this, Ginny's eyes did begin to spill over.

"I love you, too," she responded in a voice that was soft yet firm. She moved toward him again, and Harry did not resist what they both wanted. Their mouths met, and he had his first taste of her since his last birthday – the last in more ways than one.

All too soon, however, he knew it was time. Harry pulled back and found that his vision was blurry. He'd begun crying, too, during their kiss. He reached under his glasses and wiped his eyes clear. He cast one more glance towards Ginny, and then pulled the cloak back over himself, ending their encounter. His destiny awaited him.

--

Author's Note: SnakeEyes16 had suggested a good-bye to Ron and Hermione, too, but Harry didn't see them, and I didn't want to invent where they might have been. Anyway, just having this brief scene seems like it might be more likely to fit into the time he had before the deadline. I couldn't believe Harry could resist the temptation to speak to Ginny when he saw her, not for the reason given in the book, to be talked out of his sacrifice, but just to gain closure. So this is my re-write.

Review responses:

charleegirl: Nice to see you on my review boards again! I've been wondering where you were. I love Ginny, too. The main thing that disappointed me about the latest movie was that her great parts were cut.

VanillaBean75: "Simple, yet poignant." Thanks, those types of scenes are probably my favorites. This one had a little more fluff while retaining depth, I think.

SnakeEyes16: Well, yeah, I figured she might be quite irritated, under the circumstances. Everyone else was trying to hold her back, and Harry doing the same might have just been the last straw.

Wishing Only Wounds The Heart: Wow, I'm flattered! Actually, I haven't read much HP fiction recently, either. I just write it occasionally. Weird, huh?

griffindor-girl12: 20 additional pages doesn't sound like that much, although you may have mistyped. I could honestly have done with a little less wandering in the wilderness, though, especially if cutting that could have gained us a little more romance.

Avatarfanx2: I know it's been about ten days. Was that soon enough or not?


	3. Chapter 3: Reunion

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of the Harry Potter franchise.

Author's Note: I'm really sorry it took me so long to get around to this! For some reason, it was harder than the others. And perhaps it's appropriate for me to post it on the second anniversary of my engagement. This is an alternate version of what happened near the end of the book. SnakeEyes16 and I agreed that this was probably the most egregious error of Rowling's. Why would Harry choose to go to Ron and Hermione instead of Ginny? It's completely unrealistic, especially if we're supposed to believe that he loves her. Enjoy!

**Reunion**

Hidden by the Invisibility Cloak, Harry made his way down the rows of tables in the Great Hall. He spotted Ron and Hermione sitting together, holding hands. He would want to see them shortly, but he'd just spent most of the past nine months with them. Besides, he had a feeling there were some things the two of them needed to work out on their own.

In the meantime, there was another face Harry sought, one that had kept him going when he'd thought everything was lost. At last, he found her distinctive red head, leaning against her mother.

Careful not to stand in anyone's way, Harry just paused there for a moment, grateful that Ginny was alive and well. Her long hair was tangled, her face smudged, and she looked exhausted. Harry didn't think he'd ever seen anything more beautiful.

Of course, he still had the problem of how to approach her without anyone else catching on. He crept cautiously up to where she was and allowed his hand to brush her arm through the cloak. Her eyes opened wide, and she sat up straight.

"Ginny, dear? Is there something wrong?" Mrs. Weasley's voice was full of concern – understandably, considering what everyone had just been through.

"No, Mum." Ginny's gaze appeared to rest eerily upon Harry, and he felt a chill run down his spine. "I just need to go and…get some air." Harry remembered what Professor Dumbledore had once said about the bond created when one wizard saves another. He'd been talking about Pettigrew, but Harry had also saved Ginny's life once. Maybe that bond gave her an uncanny ability to sense his presence.

"Ginny…"

"I'll be okay," she assured her mother, turning her sad yet still brilliant smile to her and making Harry feel irrationally jealous at not being the recipient. "The war's over, remember?" Mrs. Weasley let go of her daughter very reluctantly, but she could no more prevent her leaving now than she'd been able to keep her out of the fighting earlier. Ginny slipped silently out of the Great Hall, with Harry ghosting along by her side.

"Harry? Is that you?" she whispered once they were in the corridor. Harry glanced around quickly and removed the cloak.

"It's me," he acknowledged unnecessarily. Ginny momentarily looked as though she were going to throw herself at him, but she didn't. She wasn't Hermione, after all. Instead, she simply stepped forward and placed a tentative hand on his cheek. He covered her hand with his own.

"I've missed you," she murmured.

"Not half so much as I've missed you, I'll bet," he replied. Then he threw the cloak over both of them. "Come on. I'm not ready for more company just yet." He let instinct guide him down the hallways, not certain of his goal.

"Where are we going?" Ginny demanded breathlessly as she hurried to keep up with him, but Harry didn't have an answer for her. At last, he stopped, knowing he was at the right place. The gargoyle that normally guarded the way to the Headmaster's office was off to the side, and the winding staircase was still. Harry turned to Ginny, who just raised her eyebrows inquiringly at him. He removed the cloak, stuffing it into a pocket. When they stepped onto the first stair, it moved them upward toward the door.

They entered the abandoned office, and Harry gazed around at the pictures of past Headmasters, all alert and looking right at him. He stopped first on Professor Dumbledore, who had made mistakes but always tried to guide him along the best way he knew. The image was smiling kindly through tears.

A small hand slipped into Harry's, and he looked down at Ginny. There was so much he wanted to say to her that he hardly knew where to begin.

"Ginny, I'm sorry," he started. "I'm so sorry. For everything."

"Harry, you don't have to--"

"Yes, I do. All the things I should have done, all the mistakes I've made…the worst one was letting you go. I--"

"If you say you're sorry again, I _will_ hit you." Ginny's voice was calm and even, but Harry had no doubt that she could and would follow through on her threat.

"I thought about you every day," he said instead.

Ginny reclaimed her hand and made a circuit of the room with her arms crossed, looking as though she were hugging herself for warmth. She appeared to be observing the pictures and decorations on the walls, but Harry doubted whether she was really seeing any of it. Finally, she turned back to him.

"I was angry with you," she admitted. "Many times over the past year. I am a Weasley, after all. But then, when I saw you – and I thought you were--"

"I almost was," Harry whispered hoarsely when she broke off. In a way, he felt guilty that he had survived when one of her brothers had not. However, she didn't seem to be thinking about that.

"You'll have to explain all that to me some time," she continued. "What I'm trying to say is that I forgave you at that moment." She approached him again, and finally, she smiled – a soft, sensual smile of welcome. "Besides, you'll have the rest of your life to make it up to me."

Harry absolutely ached to kiss her, but he wasn't sure he'd earned that right yet. Fortunately, Ginny took the decision out of his hands, grasping his face on either side and bringing his mouth to hers. He thought he would completely dissolve into her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

He had no idea how long they stood like that, but they were eventually interrupted by the sound of applause. It started with one person clapping, then a few more, and at last, an entire room full of people. Harry broke from Ginny, wrapping one arm around her shoulders, and they both turned to see what was going on. The portraits, which Harry had completely forgotten about, were applauding and smiling at them.

Ron and Hermione suddenly appeared in the room as well, and Ron grinned lopsidedly.

"Guess you had the same idea we did," he remarked. "What's all the clapping about?"

"They're happy that Harry ended the war," Ginny replied. She laid her head on Harry's shoulder and slipped an arm around his waist. Ron and Hermione held each other as they waited for the applause to die down. Harry was certain that if he were to look into the Mirror of Erised at this moment, he would see the four of them exactly as they were. There would be a time for mourning those who had been lost – Fred, Remus, Tonks, and Dobby, among others – but there was also just cause for optimism.

Harry reflected on what Ginny had said earlier, that he had the rest of his life to make things up to her. _…neither can live while the other survives…_ For the first time, Harry thought he really understood those words. Now that Voldemort was gone, he could really live. A new world spread out before him, fresh and new. He was free to make his own future from now on, and the thought was exhilarating.

He gave Ginny a kiss on her hair, about all he dared to do with Ron present. In addition to making up for the past, Harry knew that he would have plenty of time to screw up a lot of other things, but at the moment, that seemed perfectly acceptable.

--

Author's Note: I tried to keep the details largely the same, though I thought it would be funny to have it be kind of ambiguous whether the headmasters were clapping for Harry fulfilling his destiny or claiming Ginny. I assume he went on to explain about the Deathly Hallows at this point.

Since these three are done, does anyone have a suggestion on other scenes that should have been part of the book but weren't? I have a possible idea for a RonxHermione bit.

Review responses:

doodleswriter357: I really didn't intend to make you wait this long, so I'm sorry, and I hope you're still out there!

charleegirl: Actually, I think I'd drawn the comparison between Aang and Harry before, but I can't remember where. I'm really looking forward to the film version of Half-Blood Prince. Here's hoping they cut out McLaggen and Lavender in favor of furthering Harry/Ginny, which they'll have to spend a lot of time on, having largely ignored it thus far.

ginevra-james: I tend to like the simple yet deeply emotional scenes. They're my favorites to both read and write.

Gisele Weasley: Here's another, though I'm sorry it took so long.

SnakeEyes16: I have enjoyed writing this collection, and I think the book would have been truly perfect if just a few scenes like these had been included. As always, thanks for the inspiration!

AirGirl Phantom: Thank you; so do I!

Wishing Only Wounds The Heart: No kidding! Honestly, what was JKR thinking by making us read hundreds of pages of romantic and sexual tension and not giving us a satisfying conclusion? Okay, we saw they got married, but where's the romance?

griffindor-girl12: Well, he gets his future now. Thanks!

Avatarfanx2: Harry/Cho? Seriously? I confess that I never really got that whole ship.

intricate designs: Thank you. That's what I was going for.

ProfessorChris: You got that right. Sometimes I wonder if Rowling intentionally left a lot of things open so that we fanfic writers would still have room to maneuver.

unique.normality: Thanks!


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